FRENCH defender Franck Queudrue dedicated his Middlesbrough point-saver to six-week-old daughter Lilie.

On-loan Queudrue, hoping to make his move from Lens permanent at the end of the season, scored his second Boro goal with a superb free-kick to earn a 1-1 draw against Tottenham at the Riverside. The 23-year-old left-back later revealed the shirt tale behind his goal celebration.

"The goal was for my little girl, Lilie," said Queudrue, who also scored against Sunderland on his home debut last October.

"I had a T-shirt on underneath with a message on it, but I didn't get the chance to pull my shirt up properly.

"Next time I get the chance to show it off she will probably be 16!"

Queudrue's wife Ismerie is back in France with Lilie, but he said: "Hopefully they were watching on TV. I hope they will get the chance to follow me here. We want to live in England and I want to play here.

"If I get the chance to stay they will come over to join me. There are negotiations going on between the clubs about the price."

Boro are hoping to talk Lens into agreeing a £2m deal for pin-up boy Queudrue, and manager Steve McClaren admitted: "Franck has done well.

"I'm fed up of fans - especially lady fans - asking me if we are going to sign him. He's a tremendous character."

Boro attracted another crowd of over 31,000 for the visit of Spurs and are now seven points clear of the relegation zone as they look forward to an FA Cup semi-final date with Arsenal at Old Trafford in 13 days' time.

McClaren said: "We've had another near-full house and the fans have been tremendous. They can see things happening. We have young players out there like Robbie Stockdale, Luke Wilkshire and David Murphy, and I think the fans like to see youngsters given a chance.

"I think there is a feelgood factor about the place. If we can stay up, entertain and bring the fans back, that's great."

McClaren has welcomed news that Scotland boss Berti Vogts is keen to recruit right-back Stockdale. The 22-year-old Teessider qualifies to play for Scotland through grandparentage and McClaren joked: "We nearly put Jockdale on the teamsheet.

"I think he deserves a chance. It's a new era for Scottish football under Berti Vogts and he has to scour around for players like the Republic of Ireland have done."

Meanwhile, McClaren hopes to have goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer (stomach bug) and skipper Paul Ince (virus) available again for today's game at Derby.

McClaren is a former Rams coach, but said: "I've been back there before with Manchester United. Things have changed since I was at Derby and there is no room for sentiment."

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